As Stockton's crime problem flared like malaria over the years, and seemed just as incurable, I occasionally wondered - WWBD?

What Would Bratton Do?

This week, I got to ask him.

William J. Bratton, the famous police chief who in the 1990s drastically reduced New York City's rampant crime, is now one of America's most sought-after police consultants. He's been working for Oakland. He visited Stockton this week.

"The situation here is very doable," Bratton said.

But he immediately zeroed in on the most obvious problem: not enough cops.

"You have - at 1.1 police per thousand residents - probably one of the smallest police departments in America for a large city," Bratton said.

This we do. According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports, in the entire U.S., only Bakersfield and Santa Ana have a lower cop-to-citizen ratio.

Boston, where Bratton started out, has twice Stockton's population. But seven times the number of cops, 2,200. By Boston standards, Stockton would have 1,050-1,100 sworn officers. It has 344 (positions budgeted; 13 are open).

Of course, this city could never afford such an army. But it needs more cops.

But, "It's not only the number of cops that count," Bratton said, "but what they do and how they use them."

More cops would allow Stockton to snap out of reactive mode, careening from one 911 call to the next. Proactive policing is the essence of law enforcement, Bratton said.

"The whole role of policing - the creation of policing - was on the idea of prevention of crime," Bratton said. "In the '70s and '80s in America we got into a 911 response focus. ... That's totally wrong. The police are the key factor in the prevention of crime."

And not just major crime. Bratton advocates the Broken Window Theory. A city must police little crimes just as diligently as big crimes.

Graffiti, prostitution, street drug sales, vagrancy, aggressive panhandling, gangs on the street corner, all should get a stern copper's response.

Bratton likened this to a doctor who treats a car accident victim's major injuries, but does nothing about minor ones.

"Those other injuries are going kill you," he said. "It might take a little longer but they're going to kill you also."

Bratton supports Mayor Anthony Silva's tax plan to fund more cops in part because it locks funding into the fight against misdemeanor crimes as well as felonies.

But he also liked the Marshall Plan - as well he should, as its core component, Operation Ceasefire, an intense, sustained, carrot-and-stick approach to busting up gangs, originated in Boston.

"I was very pleased when I saw the Marshall Plan here that they were looking to embrace it ... but the concept of Ceasefire is partnership," he said. "A significant deficiency in the partnership is the size of your police force. You just don't have enough cops to implement a lot of what is outlined in that plan."

To recap: Bratton likes the mayor's tax/cops plan, which has an advocate/administrator, a paid consultant and a citizens advisory committee, because it expands the police force back into attack mode. He likes the Marshall Plan for Ceasefire and for its strategic partnerships with other law enforcement agencies and community groups.

Bratton doesn't know city politics, though. Beyond funding more cops, the mayor's plan has many serious flaws. Like creating revenue during the city's sensitive bankruptcy trial and negotiations.

Like the unelected "advocate/administrator" who would usurp the city manager's control over police funds.

City Manager Bob Deis said thanks, Mr. Bratton, but no thanks.

"I have a police chief that in my opinion is one of the better police chiefs in the country," Deis said. "I don't need additional advice about the Police Department."

That advocate/administrator - which some think is part of the mayor's attempt to build control of city government outside the council and city manager's office - is advised by a paid consultant under the mayor's plan, by the way.

The mayor's adviser, Allen Sawyer, said the mayor likes Bratton for the consultant job.